Gallup poll good news for potential home sellers

A solid majority of Americans now view real estate as a better long-term investment than gold or stocks, according to a new Gallup poll.

Gallup has been polling Americans about their preferred investments for years, but in 2011 in the aftermath of the Great Recession it added gold as an option.

In 2011, gold, which had appreciated wildly as the housing and stock markets crumbled, was the most popular long-term investments with 34 percent preferring the precious metal versus 19 percent choosing real estate and 17 percent the stock market.

Gold has declined in value as the stock market rebounded to record highs and real estate at least stabilized. In Gallup's latest poll taken April 3-6 30 percent preferred real estate as a long-term investment versus 24 percent each choosing stocks and gold.

This is good news for home owners hoping one day to sell their home. For decades people bought homes not just to live in but to one day sell at a profit. During the Great Recession and its aftermath people in the real estate business emphasized buying a home was more of a lifestyle choice rather than investment. The fact that more are viewing home ownership as a good investment should help prices rebound.

Click here to read more about the poll and how it varies by income and age.